The present invention relates generally to exhibit display systems, and more particularly to the field of portable display exhibits, of the type having a lightweight framework adapted for easy erection and disassembly.
The field of portable exhibit display structures has expanded rapidly in recent years, to meet the need for providing truly portable structures of lightweight material, which may be readily transported from place to place and quickly erected for display purposes. One such structure is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,658,560, issued Apr. 21, 1987, which is hereby incorporated by reference and wherein a portable frame consisting of lightweight triangulated struts is combined with a number of vertical channel members to form a structure for hanging sheets of plastic material to serve as a display surface. Although the frame structure itself is extremely lightweight and incapable of supporting significant vertical loading, the channel members do provide some vertical rigidity for supporting limited loading. After plastic panels are hung on this structure to form a display, it has the appearance of a curved wall and is suggestive of a solid wall construction, even though it actually has only limited supportive strength. The display structure may be used to support lights, shelving, and various types of hanging brackets, if the vertical loading is kept within predefined limits.
Another such portable display structure is disclosed in international patent application No. PCT/US87/02157, filed Aug. 26, 1987, which is hereby incorporated by reference and discloses a display frame comprised of interlocking members, and which may be readily assembled and disassembled. This display structure is adapted for hanging plastic panels over the frame members, and may be further adapted for the attachment of lights, shelving and other structural members.
Since portable display structures function is primarily to provide a pleasing visual perception, considerable effort is made to select display panel materials which will enhance this visual perception. The lighting and other materials associated with the display are also selected to enhance this perception, while at the same time all materials must be readily adaptable to ease of assembly and disassembly. For this reason the display panels are typically selected from plastic sheet material, frequently having a fabric covering, which may be readily rolled up for deposit in a storage container. The frame and channels are also adaptable for assembly and disassembly, and for storage in a portable container, so that the entire assembly may be easily transported from one location to another. It is therefore a desirable feature of structures of this type to have the appearance and rigidity and strength when in the erected form, while at the same time being adaptable for quick assembly and/or disassembly, and for easy storage into containers which may be transportable.
The parent commonly assigned patent application Ser. No. 309,417 entitled "Lightweight Overhead Beam for Portable Display Structure" discloses a beam formed of two pieces of elongate flexible material wherein one of the flexible pieces has a width dimension larger than the other flexible piece. Both pieces of material have an attachment device extending along their respective elongate edges to cause the wider piece to become bowed outwardly when attached to the narrower piece to lend stability to the beam.
One of the problems with the beam disclosed in patent application Ser. No. 309,417 is mounting the beam on flat structures. Because of its thickness dimension, the beam extends at a relatively great distance from the face of a flat display and may apply a relatively great leverage on the display and on the means connecting the beam to the display. Although it is possible to connect the beam to a flat display, the beam is preferably mounted on a curved display structure.